A standard procedure used in the treatment of endovascular diseases is the placement of medical devices, such as embolic coils, stents, and dilation balloons, among others, at a desired or targeted site (e.g., aneurysm, etc.) within a patient. The delivery of such a medical device has typically been accomplished by a variety of means, including the use of a catheter along with a pushing wire or a means of injection, as well as a system to which the device is attached during delivery and detached once the device is proximate to the targeted site. These medical devices usually have a contracted shape that allows them to pass through the lumen of the body vessel and an expanded shape that occurs after being deployed at the targeted site.
One specific example, of such a medical device is an embolic or occlusive device that is placed within a body vessel or vasculature of the human body to filter the flow of blood through a vessel in the vasculature or to block the flow of blood within a defect in the vessel, such as an aneurysm. One example among many widely accepted types of occlusive devices is a detachable helical wire coil whose coil windings are sized to engage the wall of the vessel. Detachable coils are usually selected when the anatomy is especially distal and tortuous, a risk of coil displacement exists, or a very precise placement of the coil is required. Despite the technological advancement in the field of delivering such occlusive devices to a target site, problems still exist with many of the current means of deployment.
These problems include difficulty in positioning and repositioning the medical device before detachment from the catheter, the lack of accuracy in maneuvering the device into position at the target site, and the lengthy duration of time necessary to deploy the device. Several additional shortcomings associated with current delivery systems include the lack of control over the device once the delivery wire is out of the catheter; unreliable detachability; the inclusion of additional system assembly steps necessary to successfully detach the device; and the inclusion of a detachable mechanism that adds to the stiffness of the system creating the risk of losing delivery catheter position, to name a few.
Accordingly, there exists a desire to provide improvements in the mechanism used to detachably deploy a medical device at a targeted location in the vasculature of a patient. More particularly, there exists a desire for the continued development of a coupling mechanism that securely holds the medical device, thereby, allowing it to be effectively maneuvered throughout the deployment process, while also allowing said medical device to be easily and reliably detached once it is properly located at the target site. A mechanism that is adaptable for use with a wide variety of medical devices would be advantageous.